Fighting Words  (It’s Not Your Fault)

Fighting Words  (It’s Not Your Fault)

I often review books that are not brand new and/or that have not gotten the recognition they deserve. But even though  “Fighting Words,” by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, earned a Newbery Honor (ie so not a hidden gem!), I still want to tell you about it. ...
Sunny, Tiny and Nurdles, Oh My! 

Sunny, Tiny and Nurdles, Oh My! 

“No Time to Waste” is the second book in Carolyn Armstrong’s middle grade series, “Eco Warriors.”  In case you haven’t read the first book, eleven-year-old twins, Sydney and Sierra have a dream life. Their mother is a nature photographer and they, together with...
Stories About Two Very Different Lives

Stories About Two Very Different Lives

“Star Child” and “Into the Woods” Authors Gary Paulsen and Octavia Butler don’t have much in common. Butler,“a ground-breaking science fiction genius,” was dreamy, with a huge imagination and a drive to succeed. Paulsen didn’t love school, was essentially abandoned by...
Is It Okay to Pee in the Ocean?

Is It Okay to Pee in the Ocean?

Two engaging “how does that work” non-fiction books for young readers to enjoy Did you know that that distinctive smell of a pool that you always thought was chlorine is in fact a chemical reaction between chlorine (put in the pool to reduce bacteria) and...